Rogue
by afrinzan
Summary: This story line takes place after the Antarctica incident. What if Rogue hadn't just left Gambit to die at the time and tried to get the X-men to go back an get him? Well that one is explained later on. The only canon character is Rogue. Please comment
1. The Desertion

Rogue closed the gate to the mansion for the last time. _Ah ain't coming back... not aftah what they did ta Gambit... Ah ain't evah gonna come back._ She thought as she looked through the bars. The rest of the X-Men would likely come after her but they wouldn't find her. She turned around and with barely a glance back she walked away.

"She left... it's no wonder as to why you know," Storm said as she crossed her arms, "After what Logan did to Gambit... I'm not in the least bit surprised."

"Well the swamp rat kept getting in the way..." Logan said clenching his fists, "Besides it can't have been all my fault."

"As usual you are incorrect Logan," Professor Xavier said as he rolled up.

"What does that mean?" Scott asked raising an eyebrow from behind his sunglasses.

"She left because of what we all did that day..." Professor Xavier said sadly, "because of Logan's and your actions, Scott. As well as the inaction taken by the rest of us. Because of that she wound up getting hurt both physically and mentally... She believes that she can no longer trust us. Her love for Gambit, in my opinion, has clouded her judgment to a point."

"You have to be kidding... she doesn't trust us anymore? We've been there for her sense the beginning... When she showed up here at the mansion we were there to greet her!" Scott yelled out of disbelief.

"It's sad Scott, I know... But it is true... She won't come back... Not any time soon at least," Professor Xavier said equally sadly, they had lost two powerful allies now first Gambit and now Rogue.

It was anyone's guess as to what she was going to do now, especially on her own.

Rogue shrugged her coat in closer around her, it was bitter cold but she wasn't going to stop. She knew that if she stopped the Professor could get a solid lock on her and would send Kurt to get her, she couldn't... no wouldn't let that happen. _Ah've gotta get as fah away as ah possibly can... othahwise they could find meh and bring meh back to the mansion... ah ain't goin' back no mattah what. _She thought as she continued to walk down the darkening road. It was late fall and it was cold but her anger and sadness made it seem even colder.

_Ah have ta find a way to get away from the X-Men for good,_ she thought as she looked up and down a road before crossing, _ah don't evah want ta see their faces evah again. Not aftah what they did ta Gambit...or what they did ta me..._

She kept her white streak of hair under a woven winter cap that was a nondescript shade of brown. Her brown trench coat was heavy and made of near leather like material. Her blue jeans where faded and had a rip just above the left knee. Her gloves where a tan brown and made of thick leather as well, to keep her hands warm and to protect others from her power. Though it was cloudy and was starting to get dark she wore a pair of black sunglasses to keep her identity a secret, same with the brown and dark green scarf she wore around her neck which hid her nose and mouth from the bitter wind.

Slowly she walked into a forest preserve, the light dusting of snow from the previous day crunching softly under her feet. The birds that still lived there sung softly in the branches, seeming to tell each other of the day's events and being curious about the intruder at this hour. Rogue looked up into the broken evening sky. The clearing cloud cover and the trees revealing the stars behind them. She watched the stars and saw what she thought would be a shooting star and made a wish.

_Ah wish for Gambit's safety and that we will be able ta see each othah again, _Rogue wished silently as the shooting star disappeared behind the clouds. With a smile she walked on, deeper into the forest. She didn't know that something was there, of course how could she but it was waiting for an unexpecting person to find their way there.

"Someone is coming sir... she is different than all the other specimens we have gathered," someone said, the vast majority of their body covered in robotics, the only thing revealing that they may have at one point been human was the pale blue right eye.

"Interesting, who is she? Where is she?" another answered, he was an officer. His torso, right arm and both legs was machine but his left arm and head aside from his left eye, ear, neck and most of the back of his head was human with a bit of dark brown hair cropped short.

"Identity unknown, trajectory is strait at us at a steady pace," another said, "species: human, race: would appear American perhaps, hair is brown red from what we can tell and her eyes are behind a pair of sunglasses."

"I see, intercept her and bring her onboard," the officer stated coolly, "Oh and don't kill her... I want to see her alive."

"Yes sir," the first said as he rushed off to collect a task force to "collect" the woman.

Rogue continued to walk slowly through the preserve and lowered her scarf slightly to smell the cold fresh air though the wind bit her lower face when she did. Sense it was now dark; she removed her sunglasses so she could see. Folding them she put them in one of the deep pockets of her coat, not noticing the glowing red eyes of the troopers that watched her from behind the trees and bushes.

With a sigh she looked back up to the stars, the clouds moving quickly over them and the nearly full moon. _Now what do ah do? Ah gotta stay somewhere... ah don't wanna freeze ta death out here in the middle of this place... so... Now what?_ Rogue thought as the troopers silently moved in closer, each with a stun rifle in hand. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she removed the winter cap and ran her fingers through her hair. As she opened her eyes she finally saw it, six near fully mechanical troopers standing around her with rifles trained on her.

"Ah so ya'll wanna play monkey in the middle, do ya? Alright shugahs... let's play," Rogue said coolly not even fazed by their presence.

Rogue ducked in, taking three steps and delivered a right hook hard to one of the troopers in center mass. The trooper flew back, as sparks flew from his chest and his rifle landed on the ground behind her. Having taken five quick steps pushing off on her right. She turned on the ball of her left foot, jumped, and landed a kick to the left side of the next trooper with her strong leg. Launching herself off that trooper, she backward shoulder rolled and grabbed a third trooper swung him around like a rag doll then threw him into a tree.

Somewhere in the tree line a seventh trooper, the squad leader, took a shot with his stun rifle. The blast looked like pale blue, almost white, electricity which hit Rogue just above her lower back.

As her body spassemed out for a few seconds she managed to say, "Ya fuckers don't play fair..." and she went limp, falling to the ground unconscious.

"She'd better be worth this..." the squad leader said as he stepped out of the tree line holding the butt stock of his stun rifle on his hip.

Meanwhile, back on the ship...

A homing beacon sounded, it signaled that the subject had been secured and the team was awaiting pickup. The drop ship that had concealed itself in the preserve earlier that day lifted off and headed towards the squad's position, landing just long enough for them to get on board.

The team carried Rogue into a secure room for transport to the mother ship orbiting the planet, a room containing only a bed that was secured to the ground, as well as a sink and latrine likewise secured. They laid her on the bed and secured the door as they left her to sleep off the effects.

"She has been secured sir," the squad leader told the officer with a deep bow, "However, I lost three good men in that... She is a formidable opponent sir."

"I see, have you discovered her identity yet?" the officer said not bothering to return the bow.

"No sir but she should awaken shortly," the squad leader said hazarding a glance up.

"Then inform me when she awakens!" the officer yelled as he spun on his heel smacking the squad leader with a strong back hand slap to the jaw that sent the man, if he could be called that, flying across the room and into a table, "DISMISSED!"

Rogue slipped in and out of consciousness. Catching bits and pieces of conversations as her perception waxed and waned. _What's goin' on here?_ She thought as her hearing steadied enough that she could finally hear the whole conversation. _Where am ah? Why do ah feel so heavy? _These questions filled her head and more as her head turned to the side touching the cold metal of the bed she was on. Slowly, almost laboriously, her eyes opened. The light stung her emerald green eyes and she was forced to snap them shut so she wouldn't hurt her eyes.

"Sir! She's waking up!" a voice said almost half way mechanically.

"Good," another voice, darker and colder, said but it wasn't as mechanical as the first.

"Ah god... ah think ah'm gonna be sick..." Rogue managed to say as she forced her eyes to adjust to the bright room.

"Don't worry, that is just a side effect of the stun rifle blast that hit you," the officer said making an effort to make his voice sound friendlier.

Rogue forced herself to sit up, her muscles strained from feeling that her body was too heavy for them. Looking down she almost panicked. Her coat, cap, scarf, and most importantly her gloves where gone.

"Alright... Where the hell did ya stash mah gloves?!" Rogue yelled the fatigue and seemingly impossible weight falling away as she shot up off the bed.

"What importance do they have to you?" the officer asked as he picked the gloves up off the table beside him.

Rogue scowled in disgust and stormed over to the officer, snatching the gloves out of his hand with her left hand and punching him with her right.

"Ya really have no idea as ta what you're dealin' with do ya?" Rogue asked angrily as she nearly jammed the gloves back over her hands, "Mah powah can kill a normal person in less than a second if ah touch them with mah bare hands..."

"I see...," the officer said as he picked himself off the ground half surprised that she could knock him down, "so... Do you have a name to go along with that vicious right hook?"

"Mah name is Rogue... and ya'd bettah remembah it if ya don't wanna meet it again..." Rogue all but spat at the officer.

With that she turned around and walked back over to the sink. She filled it with cool water and, after taking her gloves off again, washed her face. Grabbing a towel that sat next to the sink she dried her face off and looked back to the officer and his lackey.

"Are ya still here? Get the hell outta here... ah don't need any company... thank ya..." Rogue half yelled realizing that her "guests" where still there and she had no interest in having them watch her all day.

"We can be a strong ally or formidable foe depending on what you want to make us, Rogue... By the way... my name is Volt... Officer Wesley Volt," Volt said as he opened the door letting his lackey leave before him, "Oh and chow will be in an hour and a half... I hope that you will join me..."

With that Volt closed the door.

_Great... Ah've been abducted_ _by aliens now! _Rogue thought as she sat back down on the bed. _And what's more, one of them has asked me to have lunch or dinnah or whateveah the meal is with him... Fuck, if Logan hadn't shoved Gambit outta the X-jet then ah wouldn't have any reason ta be here right now... well... What's done is done... in fact ah might still be able ta see Gambit again soonah or latah._

Rogue fidgeted with her hair as these thoughts went through her head. It may have been these thoughts that led up to what happened to her... no one really knows... but this much is for sure... it changed her life... forever.


	2. The Test

_Great... Ah've been abducted_ _by aliens now! _Rogue thought as she sat back down on the bed. _And what's more, one of them has asked me to have lunch or dinnah or whateveah the meal is with him... Fuck, if Logan hadn't shoved Gambit outta the X-jet then ah wouldn't have any reason ta be here right now... well... What's done is done... in fact ah might still be able ta see Gambit again soonah or latah._

Rogue fidgeted with her hair as these thoughts went through her head. It may have been these thoughts that led up to what happened to her... no one really knows... but this much is for sure... it changed her life... forever.

In the chow hall an hour and a half later...

Rogue was lead into the officer's area of the chow hall under armed guard, four in front and four in back each armed with a stun rifle. She was given a uniform to wear instead of her street clothes but they didn't fit quite right, far too tight in the chest and thighs, and the only thing they allowed her to keep was her gloves.

Looking around, she saw that the dining area was restaurant class in seating and serving. The gentile lighting and colors gave a feeling of calm there that almost scared Rogue. The room was mostly in hues of dark blue, green, and red. High backed chairs sat around tables with elaborate settings that looked like some of the high class restaurants that she had seen before.

"Please, sit..." Volt said from across the table as he signaled to the seat in front of Rogue.

One of the guards pulled out the chair for Rogue though he kept the stun rifle trained on her. Watching the guards and Volt she slowly moved beside the chair, sat down and pulled the chair up to the table.

"Alright Volt, ya got meh here... Now what is it that ya want?" Rogue asked bluntly as the guards took posts around the walls.

"You must be hungry," Volt said with a smile as he obviously avoided the question, "I hope that you don't mind but I took the liberty of ordering for you."

"Ya are avoidin' mah question..." Rogue said lowering her chin slightly, "ah would like ta know why ya felt that it was so important ta bring meh on board."

"All will be explained in due time my friend... But now we eat," he claimed, once again avoiding her question but as he had said, two plates fairly heavily laden with food was placed in front of both of them.

Rogue clenched her jaw, she wanted to punch this man's lights out but she glanced around the room. There were eight guards here and only one of her... She might be able to make it passed them... emphasis on might but then she would have to deal with who knows how many more of these mechanical brutes and she knew that she wouldn't be able to deal with all of them without possibly getting herself killed in the process.

"You see that there is absolutely no way for you to leave my dear," Volt said as he cut his meat, "You may as well eat, there is nothing else for you to do... I will tell you what you want to know after we are finished... So please, eat... There is no reason for you to starve yourself."

Rogue recoiled at Volt's sudden statement. _How did he know what ah was thinkin'? _Rogue thought as she stared at him. _Is this man a mutant or somethin'?_

"No I am not as you so put it a mutant but I do have some mild telepathic abilities that I have acquired through my... alterations," Volt said again, this time causing her to jump from her seat, "Now, Rogue, please settle down and eat... I am no reason to get yourself worked up so please don't do anything you will regret."

Rogue swallowed then turned to look at the upended chair, picking it up she up righted it and sat back down. Slowly she picked up the utensils and began to eat. Though the food looked strange to her it tasted like roast beef, green beans, and something that she thought could pass for corn bread.

Later on when they were finished, Volt sat back. He may have looked like a half human, half machine freak but he acted very human.

"So..." he began as he placed his fingertips together as his elbows rested on the armrests of the chair, "what would you like to know?"

Putting down her glass of water she answered, "What reason do ya have that ya brought meh on board?"

"When we picked you up on our scanners we knew right away that you were different from the other specimens we had gathered," he said with a shrug, "when my men encountered you we were surprised to find that you were far more different than we originally thought."

"How different did ya find out ah was?" Rogue asked as she shifted uneasily in her seat.

He turned his head slightly before answering, "Different enough that our Emperor wants to know what exactly you are capable of..."

"Why?" Rogue asked in a word... She thought that she had figured out why but she had to be sure.

Volt smiled, "Now that is the operative question isn't it? I don't know... but I have the feeling that I might be in for a promotion because of it and you may have found yourself a job with us..."

"And who exactly are ya?" Rogue asked looking at him out of the corner of her left eye.

"The Corgalani Empire," he stated flatly which made Rogue shudder just a little bit.

Elsewhere in the ship...

"She is a curious one... if she proves to be useful to me I may give her a position of importance..." a figure said in a voice of an older man, "If she is able to help me get my daughter back than I will be most pleased with her... this Rogue... However... I need to know what she is capable of doing."

"Of course my Lord," another man much like Volt said as he kneeled in front of the man.

"Go and test her, I must know her true capabilities."

With that the man who looked the same as Volt left the room allowing the door to slide shut behind him, thrusting the room into darkness.

In a training room several hours later...

"So what are ya wantin' meh ta do?" Rogue asked as she entered the room.

"Just do your best... You'll figure each area out don't worry," Volt said with a smile that she didn't quite trust but she was forced to.

"Riiiiiight..." Rogue said as she turned around and entered the room.

_Wait a second... This room looks a lot like da dangah room back at the mansion... if mah guess is correct then this room is probably identical to da dangah room. _She thought as she looked around.

"We'll start it out easy..." Volt's voice said over the intercom into the room as the room shifted to something more natural, "Don't worry, nothing in here will kill you."

"Ah'm sure," Rogue said as she looked around the room which now looked like an arena of sorts and several warriors came out of the walls.

Rogue now wore a black combat suit. It had sensors threaded throughout to monitor her vital signs but the form fitting suit didn't impede her movement what-so-ever.

"Alright shugahs... Ya wanna see what ah can do? THEN BRING IT!" Rogue yelled as she fell into a combat stance.

The first warrior, who sported what looked like a claymore only with a laser blade, came charging at her. Rogue rolled her eyes and easily dodged the warrior's swing. Stepping beside the warrior she grabbed his forearm with her right hand and brought the palm of her hand up against the backside of his strait elbow. With a loud crack, the sound of metal breaking and twisting, wires snapping, and the crackling of electricity she broke the warrior's arm off in her hand. Then with a spin kick she sent the thing flying into a pair that had been standing behind it. _Alright... three down two more ta go..._ she thought as she turned to the other two who where charging at her at the same second.

"Ya have ta be kiddin' meh... This is too easeh..." she muttered under her breath as she dodged a punch by one while mule kicking the other, sending sparks flying from its chest and back.

As Rogue came up from the mule kick she grabbed the arm of the last warrior with both hands and swung him around. Straining could be heard from the gears in its arms as she did. Continuing around, she finally heard the satisfying groan and following pop and snap as the arm came off spraying sparks in every direction, then she used the liberated arm as a club. She smashed the arm into the body of the warrior so many times that she only had last inch of arm and the hand in her hands and the head of the warrior was gone... The remains having fallen into a twisted and smoking heap.

"Ah sure hope that was your easy mode there Volt... Cause that was a bit sad." Rogue said as she dropped the last bit of the warrior on top of the heap.

"Alright... Perhaps this will prove to be a bit more of a challenge for you..." Volt said as he tried to hide how impressed he was and his surprise.

Inside the observation room...

"Volt... Let me fight her... I doubt that she can take out an officer..." another officer whispered ensuring that his voice was not picked up on the microphone.

"Now Vile... We don't know what she is capable of... What if she CAN take an officer out?" Volt asked also in a whisper.

"She can't, trust me... The one thing we have above all of our lackeys is that we have free will," Vile said placing his human hand on Volt's shoulder, "besides my orders come from 

the emperor himself..."

"Fine, Vile... just be careful... remember... you are my partner after all," Volt said as he sighed in defeat, "Rogue... your opponent will be my partner... The only other officer that belongs to this ship... his name is Vile."

"Alright then... is he comin' in then?" Rogue said, her voice distorted from the room.

Volt looked to Vile as he opened the door to the training room then answered, "He will be in momentarily."

In the training room...

Rogue stood in the middle of the room. She was completely unscathed from the encounter. Then she saw her opponent enter the room. He was taller than her by at least a head and a half, both of his legs, upper arms, hands, whole torso, and left eye where mechanical. His right eye was dark blue, almost like the deep ocean, and his hair was pitch black.

"Well Rogue, my name is Vile, I will be your next opponent," the towering monstrosity of flesh and metal said sternly but what seemed almost programmed to Rogue.

"Alright then Vile... Ah sure hope that we can take this show on the road... but first... Ah sure hope that ya can keep up with meh..." Rogue said with a smirk and a shrug.

"Whenever you want to begin..." Vile said with a gesture that hinted that she was to make the first move.

"Alright shugah... let's dance," Rogue said with a smile and took off... Before Vile realized what was going on Rogue was on the opposite side of the room, "Well? Are ya comin' or not?"

Vile sneered a bit as he noticed Rogue's speed. He realized that she wasn't a normal human by any means but that wasn't going to stop him... he was going to fight her to see just how far her abilities went. Falling into a combat stance Vile locked on with his cybernetic eye and kept it trained on Rogue... it would follow her anywhere. With blinding speed Vile closed the distance between Rogue and himself, Volt probably had no clue as to how fast his partner had moved but that was beside the point... If he could catch Rogue off guard, than that would make this little competition sway in his favor.

Rogue watched as Vile sped towards her. She sighed at how obvious his movements were and simply sidestepped his attack. Vile skidded to a stop about three feet behind her as she turned on her heel to face him. Falling into an easy attack stance she stutter stepped and high kicked him with the knife edge of her right foot into what should be his Adam's apple.

Vile more sensed the attack than saw it and bent backwards... much further than any normal human could ever bend. With his left hand he reached up and grabbed her ankle and pulled it left, causing her to turn right as he pulled himself up. He executed a perfect palm strike directly on top of her sternum as he released her foot.

He had perfectly countered her attack, Rogue realized as she flew backwards through the air. Flipping over, she planted the balls of her toes into the ground and skidded to a stop. Looking up, she saw Vile had a cruel smile on his face.

"Not bad," Vile said as he turned slightly and fell back into position.

"Ah'm only gettin' warmed up," Rogue said coolly as she too fell back into position, "Well, are ya gonna make meh wait all day?"

Vile charged at Rogue with a ferocity that caused her to back up a step and drop her head slightly. She watched him closely paying close attention to how he moved.

_Alright…. Now when he goes ta punch meh all ah gotta do is catch his arm…. _She 

thought as he drew closer.

Everything felt like it moved so slowly that she could tell what Vile was going to do next. She dodged his lead hand punch with mere inches to spare and caught his arm with her off hand. Rogue rotated on the heel of her left foot and pulled his arm strait. With a palm strike going straight up and what should have sounded like the sickening crunch of bones was the sound of metal twisting and wires snapping.

"What the?" Rogue muttered as she jumped back as Vile yelled in pain.

"YOU BITCH! YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THAT!" Vile screamed as electricity started to arch down his arm completely sheathing from the break down in an extremely dim pale blue.

Without another word of warning he charged at Rogue again, this time screaming….. It was obvious to Rogue that he was going to start attacking her blindly without thinking now. Vile's attack was vicious and relentless, he punched with his charged arm multiple times but Rogue managed to dodge almost all of them. His final punch nailed her square in the gut and she flew back and into a hunk of metal in the middle of the room.

Rogue was stunned there was no doubt about that, her head swam and her vision danced in front of her. She struggled to at least get to her knees as he slowly walked towards her. She knew that she had to get up but that felt impossible. Her muscles felt like jelly and she couldn't get her legs to cooperate, nothing felt right.

"I told you that you were going to pay for breaking my arm….. But I think that I like the shocking value of it….. I'll keep it….." he said bitterly, "Well, any last words bitch? Or do you want me to just end it now?"

"Ah….. ain't…… done….. yet….." Rogue forced out as she pushed herself to stand up, "Yah ain't seen nothin' yet shugah……"

"I'd believe otherwise…." Vile spat raising his still sparking arm to swing at Rogue again.

_Ah can't afford ta get hit again with that thing…._Rogue thought as she watched him come at her again, _there…. Where ah hit him before….. That's where ah need ta hit him ta get him ta stop attackin' meh._

He punched at Rogue yet again but she ducked below his swing, only coming up again when where she had hit him before was directly above her. Metal and wires snapped and twisted, this time it tore through the flesh on Vile's upper arm. He cried out in pain only to find that Rogue had grabbed the fleshy area below the break on the arm and was now twisting the arm loose. His eyes went wide as he watched her then tried to pull away, the sounds of grinding metal against metal and flesh rending filled the air, her grip was like iron and he soon discovered that he could not get away without leaving his arm behind.

"Ya know…… ah could easily kill ya right now but ah'll let ya tell meh if ya wanna die or not….." she said as she jerked firmly on the arm tearing it completely off.

Vile looked at his stump of an arm and now he realized that he had no chance at defeating her but he wanted to go out in style and after taking a slight step back executed a round house kick which she dodged with mere inches to spare.

"Ah'll take that as if ya don't wanna live….." Rogue said as she spun the still sparking arm in her hand.

Now she was fast, faster than Volt could follow. Before Volt and Vile knew what was going on Rogue had stabbed Vile in the gut with his own arm the electricity flowed between the arm and Vile. His gears and other mechanical parts seized up with the shock and he tried to scream. Rogue pulled the makeshift cattle prod away as Vile, still sparking, dropped to his knees breathing hard. He looked shocked that she didn't just electrocute him to death and tried to get to his feet but realized that the shock had completely shorted out his motor functions and he could barely move.

"Ah gave ya your chance ta walk away Vile….. but ya decided to throw it away….. Ah don't give second chances," Rogue said knowing that he was about ready to ask for mercy.

Vile finally saw that it was useless, but he managed to find his feet. He wasn't about to die on his ass because he did something stupid that would cause him to die. Now as he stood he stared at her, he wasn't going to run though he could hear Volt over the intercom saying that that was enough and he also knew that fighting was the only viable option though he knew that he would fail.

Reluctantly, he fell into a combat position as Rogue came at him again. Each time she hit him with his arm he blocked it away but each time an electric shock flowed through the other arm causing a sensation that could only be described as numbing. Rogue's attacks were fierce and unrelenting and with a quick mule kick she finally cracked the armor plating sending a spray of sparks in every direction. Vile jerked forward with the force of the blow and crumpled into a heap on the ground.

In the observation room…..

"VILE! DAMN IT YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DIE!" Volt yelled over the intercom, "DAMN IT YOU'RE MY PARTNER! DAMN IT YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"

In the practice room…..

"Well, at least he put up a good fight," Rogue said as she dropped the arm on top of the now slightly smoking heap that was Vile, "Can ya let meh out now?"

A new voice could be heard over the intercom, "Well done Rogue…. Vile already knew that there was a chance that he could die…. You did well and I would like to speak to you in person Ms Rogue."

"And just who are ya?" Rogue yelled to towards the speakers finally noticing that there were also cameras all over the room and that she had obviously been watched.

"I am the Emperor of the Corgolani Empire my dear," the voice responded in a fatherly tone, "I swear that I will make it worth your while if you would hear me out."

"Alright…. What could it hurt…?" Rogue half muttered to herself.

A few moments later Volt stepped into the training room, what was left of his skin was pale as he passed by the remains of his partner. Nodding to Rogue he led her back to the cell that passed for her room at the moment.

"You have twenty minutes to get yourself cleaned up and presentable for the emperor….. He doesn't like to wait….. Nor do I so keep that in mind," Volt said beside the door as it slid open.

"Right…. Ah'll keep that in mind…. Thanks," Rogue said noting the hint of bitterness in his voice over Vile's death.


	3. The Promise

Twenty minutes later….

"Rogue are you ready yet? Damn I told you twenty minutes…." Volt yelled through the room.

Almost in that same instant the door slid back open, Rogue was standing on the other side 

mere inches from Volt's face as she answered, "Ah think ah'm ready don't ya?"

Rogue was dressed in a clean combat suit of black, lined with dark red. The gloves themselves, however, where primarily a dark red of the same shade with stitching work of black lacing down the entire glove. The suit was form fitting and though flattering her figure was actually quite modest in appearance; a black and dark red shear hood was attached to the back which she had down at the moment.

"Well, ah guess the appropriate question would be, how do ah look?" she asked as she planted a hand firmly on her hip.

Volt blinked several times unsure of what to say. Granted that she looked great in the other combat suit but this one flattered her beyond what he would have expected and he wondered, why would anyone give her such a fantastic combat suit unless they were expecting her to stay?

"You look great…." He said softly not revealing what he really thought, "we really should be going to your meeting with the emperor….."

"Right…." Rogue half muttered with a nod, though her hair was pulled back in a ponytail her silver streak still rested beside her face just behind her ear and with that nod her streak came out from behind it.

As she half way passed him he fell in beside her though he kept looking at her every couple of moments.

"Do ya have a starin' problem?" she asked breaking a fairly uneasy silence.

"No, of course not…." He answered shakily causing her to give him a sideways glance as she pulled the streak back behind her ear.

"Right…." She answered simply as she quickened her pace slightly causing him to increase his so he didn't lose her.

Outside the emperor's audience chamber…..

"Now remember… don't speak unless he requests an answer he finds that especially rude," Volt counseled, "Remember… everything that he is offering you should be taken seriously."

"Alright Volt, alright ah'll remembah…. Ya don't have ta hound meh," Rogue responded waving her hands in front of him trying to get him to calm down, "Ah get it…. Ya don't want meh ta mess up ah understand fully."

"I just want to make sure…. That's all…." Volt said nervously, "I don't know what he wants to talk to you about so…. I can't give you any heads ups…."

"That's alright…" Rogue answered as the door slid open, "well ah guess ah should entah…"

Slowly Rogue entered the dim audience chamber. As she walked she could vaguely make out pillars with figurines that didn't look real on top of them. Among what was on top of the pillars were busts of this young woman though her hair and eye color could not be determined by the extremely blue color of the image it could be told that she was a very attractive young woman perhaps in her late teens early twenties. It was obvious that this man's interest in this young woman boarder lined on obsession.

"Please come forward so I might better observe you Rogue," the Emperor said from a gently lit podium in the rear of the chamber.

Rogue snapped back to reality after hearing the firm yet unusually gentle voice. _If ah didn't know bettah ah might think that this man fantasizes himself as a fathah or somethin', _

Rogue thought as she approached the podium and soon was within its pale glow.

"Ah Rogue, the girl that we obtained from the world known as Earth or at least one of the Earths that we have been to," the Emperor said gently as she stood in front of him, "It is refreshing to see someone that would remain standing before me."

"Ya were the one who sent Vile ta fight meh weren't ya?" Rogue asked though she already knew the answer to that question.

"Yes Rogue, I was but it was his own choice to take it to the point of his own death… I lost an excellent officer with his death," he answered regrettably, "I wish that he had had the better sense to not bring it to his own death and because of his actions it has forced me to find a new officer to take his place."

"What does that have ta do with meh?" Rogue asked crossing her arms lightly across her chest.

"I am prepared to give you the position my dear," he answered calmly, "All I ask is your loyalty."

"Ah'm not interested in joinin' the empire thanks," Rogue answered quickly as she started to turn around.

"Is there something that you want in return my dear?" he asked genuinely, "Certain conditions that you want to be freed under perhaps? Or is there something that you are running from?"

She spun around almost instantly, "How did ya know ah was running from somethin'?" she asked.

"Merely a guess my dear," he answered, "but it would seem that you are indeed running from something. Are you sure that there is nothing I can do to convince you to stay and work from me as an officer? You would be Volt's partner; the two of you would be my personal guards as is the position of the officers stationed on this ship."

"So ya want meh ta be your personal guard? Is that it?" Rogue asked unconvinced.

"Yes, and any conditions that you wish I will allow your freedom," he answered slowly ensuring that she understood his offer.

"Any conditions ah want huh?" she said to herself then looked at the emperor, "There is only one person that ah've evah loved…. His name is Gambit and if he evah shows up for any reason what so evah than ah'm leavin' with him no mattah what any of ya say. Also, if ah must ta ensure that both of us can leave ah will kill ya."

"I understand your conditions fully Rogue but I must give you a code name because all of my officers have a number," he said with a nod, "From this day on you will be known as Violent Rogue or just Violent understood?"

"Right…. Mah name is Violent Rogue now well thank ya for at least keepin' mah real name in there." She said softly.

"You are welcome and welcome aboard the Crescent Moon Violent Rogue this is the flagship for the Corgalani Empire and only my best are aboard this ship," he said with a smile, "now if you will talk to Volt he will explain everything else to you I am sure."

"Ah won't have ta go through any of what's happened to Volt will ah?" Rogue asked nervously.

"Not unless you want to Violent…. That is your choice alone," he answered almost laughingly.

"Alright, thanks. Ah suppose the correct way ta address ya would be sir wouldn't it…" Rogue said then corrected herself, "Thank ya sir."

She then quickly turned around and walked out of the chamber as an announcement sounded that she guessed was a summons for Volt considering that he entered and passed her about half way down the room.

"Wait for me outside," he muttered to her as he passed.

"Alright," Rogue answered as she exited her range of hearing though she wasn't out of his.

Rogue finally got out of the room and waited as Volt had told her. Her nerves were nearly shot as she waited anxiously pacing back and forth in front of the door.

Fifteen minutes later…..

"Volt!" Rogue half yelled as he finally emerged from the chamber.

"You're my new partner…" he answered her half stunned, "I don't know what to say… I didn't think that this was the reason that the Emperor did that… to see if you were worthy to be his replacement."

"Please don't think of meh as just a replacement Volt… ah know he was your friend and ah understand that but ah can't undo what's been done," Rogue said knowing that if they didn't get along than they would have problems with their jobs as officers.

"I know Violent… it's just a bit hard to accept right now but working beside you should prove interesting," Volt answered.

"Alright as long as ya don't have any ill will towards meh," Rogue said with a faint smile which looked and felt odd being that she hadn't smiled sense before what happened to Gambit and it surprised her.

"I'll be fine, let's go get you an actual room," Volt said as he clamped his hand down on her shoulder.

"Alright," Rogue said with a slight nod and they walked away from the audience chamber.


	4. A Simple Practice Session

Several months later….

"Alright Volt, what did you set it at this time?" Violent asked as her partner started up the practice sequence for the day.

"Level thirty two today Violent… you've been whipping thirty one's ass as of late so I think you can handle it."

"Alright, let her rip!" she yelled back as she fell into her all too familiar combat stance.

They were preparing for an operation, she wasn't sure what they were going to be doing yet but she knew that both her and her partner had to be at the top of their game for what they were going to be doing next. However the practices as of late have also been focusing on the combat practices of the Colony Marines and how to take them down.

As always the combat practices had a warm up session, four or five drones each equipped with a plasma rifle and several other weapons that were considered standard issue for a Colony Marine. The drones started firing in a steady overlapping pattern as was typical of a fire team. Violent quickly dodged the quick three or four shot bursts and she moved in on the fire team leader. Her speed was too much for the targeting systems and she got into close range before the drones could calculate it. Violent took it strait to their teeth as she always did allowing her ferocity to do the talking. Within seconds she had landed a vicious triple strike combo and round house kick knocking the leader into one of his three fellows leaving him sparking in the chest and at the base of the neck.

One of the drones had what she called a plasma mini, short for plasma mini-gun. The drone that was in the rear brought it to bear on her but she managed to dodge most of the shots, only one glanced a blow against her right thigh which told her that she was being attacked again. She glanced down at the slight wound for a second and shook her head.

"Ya really shouldn't have done that," she muttered as she clenched her hands, "If ya were real than ya would regret doin' that…"

The drone with the plasma mini-gun opened fire again and she dodged behind hunk of rock cursing the accuracy of this particular drone. Then, once again the fire stopped and she hazarded a look beyond the rock only to be forced back by a trio shot from one of the other drones. After a moment she flipped over the rock and sprinted at the mini-gunner. More plasma bolts rang out but none struck their mark and Violent came up under the barrel of the mini-gun. Landing a palm strike to the gunner's chin he easily dropped the mini-gun which she caught, swung around, and rammed into his side all but breaking the drone in half. Changing her grip on the mini-gun she brought it to bear on the other two drones turning them into smoking heaps of scraps in mere seconds.

"Are you alright in there Violent? Do you need to stop to have medical look at your leg?" Volt asked through the intercom.

"Ah'm alright Volt! It's just a scratch nothin' major!" Violent called back not realizing that she had slipped back into her accent.

"Are you sure? You've gone back to your accent again," he informed her, he'd learned after she had figured out how to mask her accent that if something pissed her off it caused her to go back into her accent.

"Ah'm sure and if it makes ya feel bettah ah'll have the med drone take a look at it aftah we're done alright?" Violent asked eager to get the practice over with sense she could now start to feel a bit of the numbing effects of the plasma bolt that hit her were taking effect.

"Alright… I'm not fully convinced but you know the emergency procedures just in case right?" Volt asked.

"Volt ya worry too much, ya don't know what ah've been through trust meh ah can handle it," Violent said in a tone that begged him to test her.

"Alright alright Violent….. There's no need to get, well, violent," Volt said defensively, "here we go…. Starting…. Now!"

The doors slid open and many drones filed in; some had plasma pistols, some plasma rifles, and still other plasma mini-guns. All of them where heavily armored in regulation grade Colony Marine armor in which there were very few weak points. The drones marched in with their weapons trained on Violent who just stood there with an amused look on her face. She knew what it would take to defeat them but she wanted to see her partner's reaction when she pulled a stunt that she had yet to employ.

"Alright shugahs let's see how ya do against meh," Violent said as they slowly drew closer to her, "Ah'm Violent Rogue and ah'm your worst nightmare."

With that they opened fire but they just wound up hitting each other. About half of their numbers were gone before they realized that they were just wasting their own men and stopped firing. The drones looked at one another for a moment before they finally looked up to see Violent flying about ten feet off the ground strait above the point that she had been standing at just moments before. She half turned her head at the drones as they started to aim in on her again. She smiled as they started to fire and all she had to do was drop back down to the ground. They didn't realize that she had returned to the ground right away and Violent used that to her advantage. Sprinting forward she took out three drones with a round house kick that sent one flying into two others creating a sparking heap. The firing resumed in her direction and she dropped below the shots letting them take each other out again. Ducking and weaving she allowed them to do the work for her through friendly fire and she took out those that were closest to her that realized where she was.

In the observation room….

The training room was in an uproar and Volt couldn't see anything. The plasma bolts that bounced off of the walls and window flew in every direction while the sparking piles of fallen drones littered the floor creating a thick wall of smoke that he couldn't see through.

"Violent! Are you alright in there?" Volt yelled over the intercom.

There was no answer, just the din of plasma bolts being fired and hitting drones or walls. The simple fact that there was still plasma bolts flying told him that in all probability that his partner was still fighting but only time would tell if she was going to be alright.

In the practice room…

Violent continued to duck and dodge letting the smoke of the weapons give her cover from her opponents. When she felt that she had enough cover she started with a sudden death method of attack. She came up on each of the remaining drones silently from behind and took them out silently as the smoke started to clear. It was when the smoke had mostly cleared that the last remaining drone saw Violent dropping one of his fellows and fired upon her.

Violent heard a sole shot ring out as she was dropping one of the drones and she turned just in time for the plasma bolt to strike her shoulder. She let out a cry of pain as she was forced to take a knee from the searing pain that ripped through her shoulder blade leaving a smoking hole that reeked of burning flesh.

The last drone kept its plasma rifle trained on her and moved his finger in preparation to take another shot.

"Ah won't let ya get the best of meh….." Violent muttered staring at the drone that had the muzzle of its rifle pointed strait at her head.

Violent's arm was limp at her side, completely useless. As the shot rang out she dodged off to the side rolling behind an outcropping of rock and grabbing a plasma rifle as she did. _Ah hate using these things, _she thought as she adjusted her grip on the weapon so she could fire it one handed. Jumping out from behind the rock she sprinted around the drone and started firing the weapon with accurate shots each time. Finally, after the power cell was dry she stopped firing, dropped the rifle and dropped behind another outcropping then waited. When she heard no shots or retaliation she peeked out from behind the rock to see that the last drone had been reduced to a pile of slag.

"Volt! Get meh outta here!" Violent yelled as she slumped against the rock.

Volt was down in a matter of seconds and he stared at her taking in the damage that she had sustained.

"Well are ya gonna just stand there or are ya gonna help meh?" Violent asked in obvious pain.

"Sorry, I'm just stunned that you didn't stop when the drone shot your shoulder…. I thought for sure that you would want me to get you out of there when it did," Volt said as he helped her back to her feet, "We really should get you to medical. I don't see why you won't accept any enhancements."

"Ah ain't gonna do nothin' ta change who ah am… ah won't accept any because ah wanna remain fully human but thanks," Violent half growled as he started to half walk half carry her towards the door, "Ah will howevah take some bettah armor… does that department have anything in the works that ah can use?"

"I don't know Violent… and you are aware that you've slipped back into your accent?" he asked as they entered the hallway.

"Ya ah know… it happens whenevah ah get hurt or pissed off," Violent told him with a wince as she stepped on her injured leg.

Later in the med bay….

"You are very lucky that we attained this technology ma'am," one of the medical drones said disdainfully though mechanically, "If we did not have it than we may have had some problems repairing the damage."

"Ah know, ah know…. OW! WATCH IT YA BUCKET HEAD!" Violent screamed as the medical drone pinched the skin together.

"I am sorry ma'am, now please hold still as I apply the antibiotic ointment," the drone said calmly.

"Violent please don't destroy another medical drone…. If you keep doing that you are going to make things very difficult around here," Volt pleaded as he held the wrist of her good arm, straining to keep her from punching the head of the drone clean off.


	5. The Operation

A few months later…

"Are you ready to do this Violent?" Volt asked as he strapped protective plating over his vulnerable points.

"Always Volt… you should have seen what I used to do…." Violent's voice trailed off not wanting the painful memories to return before their big operation.

"I know… don't ask," he said helping Violent into her armor which was significantly thicker than his.

"You know that you don't have to do that…" she muttered as they clamped the plasma resistant breastplate in place.

"What's wrong with me helping you get ready for the op? The sooner we're ready the better," he said as he clasped one of the clasps closer to her shoulder, "Besides, we're partners, and we look out for each other."

"Well it just seems that you want it to be a little more than just a traditional partnership Volt," she said adjusting how the breast and now back plates rested on her torso, "Unless I'm mistaken… But given that you've been looking at me with somewhat longing eyes makes me think that you want our relationship to be more than purely business."

Volt almost jumped out of his skin realizing that she knew how he had come to feel about her over the last year and a half. Sure it had started out as pure business but now, he thought, it had become far more than that. Volt knew that she relied on him as much as he did on her and he had also figured out that he would do anything to protect Violent.

_Violent… no Rogue… her name is Rogue and no matter how much I try to get close to her she'll always pushes me away,_ he thought,_ there is only one man that she truly loves… and it's that Gambit fellow that she used to talk so much about._

"Something wrong Volt?" Violent asked as she strapped on her gauntlets.

He had to take a deep breath before answering. He knew what was wrong… he had fallen in love with her, a forbidden act among the officers especially when it was one's partner.

"Would you say something?" Violent asked snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry Rogue…" Volt said not noticing that he used her original name.

"What did you call me?" she asked surprised herself at Volt's slip up.

"Huh?" Volt stated then realized what he had said, "FUCK! I'm sorry Violent… I didn't even know that that had slipped out."

"It's been a year and a half sense I've heard anyone call me that…" Violent muttered as she finished strapping down her armor and adjusted her gloves, "Do me a favor Volt…. Don't call me that, the woman who had that name is dead."

Volt's eyes went wide when she said that, was she actually accepting that her beloved Gambit may in fact be dead? If so was she willing to accept Volt into the place that had belonged to that man? Even more important though was the burning question of could he live with that fact?

Snapping him back to reality Violent broke the momentary silence, "She may be dead but I'm sure that Gambit isn't…. and I'm sure that he's looking for his love. As he put it, Rogue was his queen of hearts and his river rat… I wonder if she'll wake up if he ever shows up…"

Not sure how to respond to her revelation he said the only thing that came to mind, "Well, let's get this operation started."

"Right," she said with a curt nod and they walked towards the small unmarked cruiser that had a platoon of combat drones waiting for them.

Inside command base zero tack one primary base of the colony marines…

A caravan of five cruisers to runner class ships, all unmarked, reverted to real space in complete unison. Inside the base a proximity alert went off letting the colony marines inside know that these ships were on a direct course for the base.

"Unidentified craft, disengage your drives and send your access codes… this is a restricted area," a colony marine said over the communications relay.

There was nothing but static over the relay. Either all of their communications suites were malfunctioning or they were planning on attacking the well fortified base.

"Unidentified craft, please respond!" the marine stated again over the relay and listened to the static again.

"There is no answer from the crafts is there private?" another marine asked, he was tall and his short black hair was slicked back with the rank insignia of a sergeant emblazoned on his shoulder.

"No Sergeant," the private said looking up at him, "should I send out the call to scramble the fighters?"

The 4000 mile proximity alert sounded, too close for comfort for this base.

"Scramble them now," the sergeant said calmly though inside he was getting nervous.

In orbit around the base…

"Sir, they are scrambling their fighters," the pilot of the lead cruiser stated over the intercom into the passenger bay to Volt and Violent.

"Shields full power, don't attack unless attacked," Volt told him, "We want them to think that we are just protecting ourselves."

"Yes sir," the pilot stated as he powered up the primary and secondary shields creating an invisible barrier between their vessels and the oncoming fighters.

The fighters came in hot but just fell into an escort pattern as they attempted to make a transmission get through to at least one of the encroaching ships.

"Unidentified craft, you are in a restricted space zone… please respond," the leader said over a universal frequency, "Please respond or we will be forced to take defensive measures."

"Pilot, patch me through," Volt said as he picked up a transmitter on the counsel in front of him and once he was patched through he finally answered the fighter, "Sorry, we've been having problems with our transponder ever sense we passed by that star cluster… We are refugees from the Ioga Sector… our fuel, water, and food is low, and our sub light drivers are starting to overheat… We need a place to dock and replenish our supplies. We're sorry for the inconvenience but this is the only place on the route that isn't being plagued by solar flares right now…"

"Hang on a moment…" the leader said as he changed frequencies, "Did you get the whole thing sergeant? What do you think?"

After a moment the sergeant answered, "Let them dock, it sound legit… besides, if they really are running low on supplies I don't think that they will make it to the next planet."

After the communications relayed the message to the fighters the fighters escorted the small convoy to their docking bay where they were instructed to wait to be searched for weapons.

Inside the docking bay of the base…

Fifty disguised drones stood behind Volt and Violent as they waited to be searched. They knew that they all of them except Violent would ping for artificial body parts but that didn't bother them. The drones and Volt had weapons hidden in compartments that wouldn't be discovered on a scan and Violent didn't carry weapons… period. They stood calmly waiting for the colony marine that would come and inspect them. The drones had to act to seem human thusly they stood in ragged lines talking about nothing in particular while Volt held Violent's hand so it would seem that they were married.

Finally, half an hour after they landed the inspection team walked into the bay. Volt rubbed Violent's shoulder, leaned close and kissed her cheek in reassurance that everything would be ok then stepped forward to speak to the sergeant that was obviously in charge of the scan.

"Names please," the sergeant said without so much as a greeting, he was not amused that he had to scan lost refugees and wished that they could just leave them on their ships until they were resupplied and ready to depart.

"I'm Antonio Rogue and she," he said pointing at Violent, "is my wife, Miranda Rogue though she prefers to be called Rogue for some odd reason."

"So Mr. Rogue, are you in charge of all these refugees?" the sergeant asked entering everything into a p.d.p. or projection data pad.

"Yes, we came from the Ioga Sector, Planet Iroga," Volt said, "the planet's rotation is so out of whack that we had to leave… We're sorry to be a burden."

The sergeant simply nodded as he entered the data checking to be sure that it all checked out. However, there was one thing that caused the sergeant's eyebrows to furrow, Iroga was a desert planet, and nothing could live there not even the most common of desert insects.

"Your story checks out except for one thing…" the sergeant said as he tapped his stylus on the edge of the projection data pad, "Iroga is uninhabitable… there is no way that you could possibly be refugees from that planet when there are no people who live on that planet to begin with."

"Very good sergeant…" Volt said as he punched the marine in the gut and two of the drones shot the other two he had come in with, "We're with the Corgolani Empire and you… are dead." With that, Volt thrust his fingertips into the sergeant's chest, breaking the sternum and grabbing his heart. With a cruel smile, Volt crushed the man's heart killing him instantly.

"Humans are so fragile," Volt said as he pulled his bloody hand out of the man's chest while dropping the limp body and looking at his bloody hand, "At least the rest of us don't need to worry about something like this… well maybe you do Violent but you're one of us so you're safe."

"I know…" Violent muttered as she cracked her knuckles, "Well… shall we get started?"

The drones split into four groups of twelve or thirteen while Volt and Violent went off in a completely separate direction. Their primary objective was to sow as much confusion and destruction as possible, kill any that got in their way and destroy as much sensitive equipment as possible. Each of the teams of drones where to go to the barracks areas and kill any that they found while Violent and Volt went to kill the commanding officers and higher ranking officials though they knew that they would be well protected.

In the command wing of the base…

"Are you ready for this?" Volt asked as pulled out a shrinkable pulse plasma rifle that had been customized to have a grenade launcher above the primary barrel for plasma and flash grenades.

"Aren't I always?" she asked back smiling slightly as she got ready for whatever was behind the door they had come up to.

"Lock, cock and load," Volt said as he loaded a plasma grenade into the grenade launcher and fired it at the sealed blast doors.

The grenade exploded against the door in a brilliant splatter of yellow-green light which ate through the door as if the plasma was pure acid. As the melted metal pooled at the bottom of the arch that the plasma had created in the blast door Violent took the opportunity to charge through and in before plasma bolts started to fly. Violent stepped up to the colony marines with hand to hand combat and a form of fighting that they had never seen before. Volt stood in the arch and fired his own plasma rifle into the fray ensuring Violent's safety, killing any enemy that brought a pistol or rifle to bear on her. They heard an alarm go off but didn't think anything of it; they knew that they were the ones who caused it.

CMS Legacy….

"LET'S GO MARINES LOCK AND LOAD! THIS ISN'T A DRILL!" a burly gunnery sergeant yelled at a platoon as they armored up, among them was a young lance corporal that had just joined the unit his short black hair bristled as it had been cut just the other day.

"LET'S GO! WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY! ZERO-ONE HAS JUST BEEN HIT SO MOVE IT MOVE IT MOVEIT!" he continued as the lance corporal grabbed his rifle and slung it over his head.

"Are you ready for this Zan?" a voice asked from behind the young colony marine, "your first mission! Killing imperials, taking names, hell maybe we'll get to square off against an officer… what do you think?"

"I think I'm scared shitless Mulligan…" Zan answered softly as he dropped into the seat that he had been assigned.

"NOW KEEP YOUR HEADS OUT OF YOUR ASSES MARINES!" the gunnery sergeant yelled in the hold as he held a plasma minigun in his right hand as if it was nothing, "I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE CORGALANI IMPIRIALS BEFORE BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU GET TO BE STUPID…KEEP YOUR EYES SHARP AND YOUR WHITS SHARPER! THIS DRONES WHERE BUILT SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS MISSION AND THEY WILL NOT SHOW MERCY SO DON'T SHOW ANY!"

"YES GUNNERY SERGEANT!" the platoon yelled in unison as the ship shuttered to go to the aid of its attacked base.

In the base…….

Chaos continued to ensue on the bridge. Violent knocked officers and officials into Volt's range of fire if she didn't take off their heads or beat them to death with their own limbs first. Some of the people against the Colony Marines would come to say that it was a work of art that could not be duplicated.

Violent worked to keep from allowing Rogue's morality from getting to her. The retched woman that she once was could not be allowed to intervene, Violent knew how exactly to keep the other woman from stepping in. Rogue, what was left of her inside the woman that was now known as Violent fought hard to get the body that once was hers to stop. No matter what she tried she couldn't even get her pinky finger to obey her commands. _How could it have come ta this?_ Rogue asked herself as she was forced to watch the mass murder of all of these innocent warriors, _Ah didn't ask for this… Why can't ah stop this? That's enough! Stop! Ya can't do this they didn't do anything ta ya!_ Rogue begged the other woman in her head but the only thing that she got back from the woman, Violent, was the thought "I must follow orders at all cost, no matter how high."

Rogue couldn't bear to watch as this woman used _her_ strength, _her_ power, _her _body to commit these acts. She just couldn't deal with it. The woman that Rogue once was now was buried under this monster of a woman… this monster that dared to call herself Violent _Rogue_. This woman was a sick parody of herself, but in a way Rogue realized, was her at the same time and that was what hurt more. That this woman very well could be her and that is what stung the most.

"Are you alright in there Violent?" Volt yelled as he dispatched another of the Colony Marines as they charged at her.

"Huh? Oh, yeah I'm just fine!" Violent responded as she whipped around sending another marine into Volt's line of fire.

"Are you sure? You stalled there for a moment…" he asked again as he shot the marine flying across his field of vision.

"Would you stop asking me if I'm alright and worry about these marines popping out of the welding plates?" Violent responded as three marines tackled her.

Violent spun around and with a look seeing that she hadn't dislodged her charges took to slamming them against the bulkheads, overheads, decks and any counsels that happened to be in the path. Luckily, that dislodged two of them but the third on her back was persistent.

"It isn't worth it," the marine whispered in her ear, "Is this who you really are? A slave to the emperor? You know that all of his warriors and officers started out normal humans right? They all started out fighting against him… He brainwashed them… he confused them with words and promises that he will never keep and eventually they forget why they decided to fight for him in the first place and the promises that he made them."

"Volt! Get this monkey off mah back would ya?" Violent yelled tears streaming down her face though she didn't realize it.

"Hang on! I can't get to you right now!" Volt yelled as he sputter fired at the small mob of marines that were swarming him.

"Get offa meh!" Violent screamed as she grabbed the marine's neck and yanked.

The marine's head came clear off as well as his neck, the rest of his body fell off or her back as she threw the head of the decapitated marine at one off his fellows. The head came to rest in a young marine's hands on top of his plasma rifle, the young marine dropped the rifle and the head as he realized it was one of his buddies. The marine turned around and charged at Violent who strait finger jabbed the marine just below the sternum, breaking through the armor and went all the way through his body till she came to his spine. Grabbing the spine she smiled with tears still running down her face.

"This should teach ya ta mess with an officah," she spat at the stunned marine who coughed up some blood.

Without a second thought or word she pulled on the spine, hard, one crack was heard as she broke the spine from the pelvis and she pulled it through the hole. There were several other cracks as the ribs broke off of the spine as well as the shoulder blades and finally the skull. Using the spine as a makeshift whip she spun it around and hit several other marines across the side of the head or the neck with it. There were several satisfying crunches she heard from other marine's necks as she hit them.

With Violent's new "weapon" it didn't take them long to finish off the reinforcements that had somehow bypassed the drones. Neither of them had taken much damage and so didn't mind what little they had.

"Drone detachment one, report status," Volt said into a communications unit on his wrist.

"Drone detachment one reporting in, zone clear and casualties minimal sir," the drone responded mechanically.

"Good, drone detachment two, report status," Volt responded then moved on.

"Drone detachment two reporting in, zone ninety percent clear with moderate casualties sir," the next drone responded.

"Understood, carry on. Drone detachment three report in," Volt said with a nod.

"Drone detachment three reporting in, zone clear, casualties moderate," the following drone responded.

"Very well, drone detachment four report in," Volt said licking his lips.

There was no answer from the detachment even after Volt signaled to them again to report in.

"Detachment four come in!" Volt screamed into the unit on his wrist.

"Detachment four defeated," a dying mechanical voice said over the communications unit, "reinforcements from colony marine vessel caused defeat."

"We've done our job," Violent said coolly as she turned towards Volt.

"Let these reinforcements figure out what happened here," he answered as he opened the comm to all channels, "All surviving drones return to the ships we take off as soon as Violent and I get there."

"Understood," the remaining voices said in unison.

"Let's go," Violent said as they moved towards the door.

In the docking bay…

The drones ran towards the vessels with all speed as Volt and Violent ran in. The reinforcements that had come too late tried to pick them off but managed to mostly do damage to their own base. One lucky shot earlier on had immobilized Volt's right arm, having severed several wires, but beyond that they had suffered no real casualties.

"Get these birds offa da ground!" Violent yelled as she strapped Volt and herself down.

It didn't take them much to get away from the vessel. What fighters the new capital ship sent out at them didn't stand much of a chance against their pilots. As they jumped into hyperspace Violent started to tend to Volt's arm.

On the bridge of the base…

"Gunnery sergeant… we found the visual records of what happened here in the only counsel still functional," Zan said as he stood at a modified parade rest making sure that he had he kept his plasma rifle at a low ready.

"Let me see…" the gunnery sergeant said solemnly knowing that they should have gotten there earlier, realized that something was wrong sooner, anything to stop what had happened to their primary base from happening again but that was one thing that they had no control over.

Zan set the playback function and watched with his higher up along with several others as to what happened there.

The gunnery sergeant paused the feed, "Who's that?" he asked pointing at an image of Violent.

"The computer names her as Rogue, gunnery sergeant," Zan answered as he pulled up the information in the data base.

"Zan, send a damage report to General Castrillon, he'll be most interested in hearing about this," the gunnery sergeant said, "Everyone else, I need to you to search the base and see if there are any survivors what so ever, if there are transfer them over to the Legacy as soon as possible, am I understood?"

"Yes, gunnery sergeant!" the unit yelled out, as they scurried along their way.


	6. The Aftermath

In the medical bay of the Crescent Moon…

"Are ya gonna be alright?" Violent asked her accent still faintly audible.

"Yeah… I'll be alright, I just need some time to recover," Volt said as he rotated his arm, glad to have sensation back in the limb.

"That could have gone bettah…" she continued.

"We did what we were sent to do," he countered, "casualties were already factored in and we figured that the Colony Marines would step in at some point to try and defend their base… I'm just surprised that there were not that many marines there to begin with. You'd figure that with that base being one of their biggest operating points that they would try to have better defenses especially with them knowing that we're out here."

"Ah know… that went as well as could be expected," she concurred.

"You know that you did absolutely splendid for your first operation though Violent," he said with a smile which faded instantly as soon as he noticed that she wasn't smiling back, "What is it?"

"She tried ta stop meh…" Violent answered simply, "Rogue tried ta stop meh and tried ta possibly get both of us killed."

"Are you sure?" he asked as he leaned forward, much closer than he had ever done before and something in Violent, no it was Rogue for sure this time, cringed and tried to pull back.

"Ah could feel her Volt… Ah could feel her tryin' ta push meh back outta the way… tryin' ta get meh ta stop," Violent answered running her hand through her hair which she had down at the moment.

"Damn… she's strong isn't she?" Volt asked as he leaned back slightly though the part of Violent's mind that was still Rogue was still on edge.

"Very," she answered, her voice finally returning to normal, "When her beloved Gambit finally shows up I don't think that I'll be able to fight her back… I know for a fact that it's not a case of if but a case of when… He will find us one day of that I'm certain. I just don't think I have the strength to fight her back when he does show up."

In a sense of despair Volt moved forward again and placed his hand on her cheek before speaking again, "Don't say that Violent… you are very important to this ship, the emperor, and to…"

Violent realized what he was about to say and finished his sentence, "I'm important to you… but am I important to you just as a partner or… something else I wonder?"

Volt's eyes went wide as he realized that she _knew_. Violent _knew_ his secret and he felt almost ready to die. Instead he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment and it became obvious to Violent that he was in a sense of the word blushing.

"I embarrassed you," Violent said softly as she pulled away from his touch.

"No, no, no you couldn't ever embarrass me… not in the way that you're thinking at least but I'm surprised that you figured it out," he said quickly reestablishing the touch as he quickly reassured her that he wasn't at all embarrassed by something that she had said, "I was just a bit surprised that you figured it out."

"When you're touching my face it's a fact that's kind of hard to ignore," she muttered back at he with a half smirk and a laugh.

Volt's eyes went wide; he'd never, _ever_ heard Violent laugh. The scared him and was pleasant at the same time. He had simply assumed that she didn't laugh because she had felt no occasion to, was still brooding about Rogue's beloved Gambit, or something to that effect.

"What?" she asked, the smirk falling from her face.

"I've… never heard you laugh before… I like it," he said brokenly not sure what else to say.

This time Violent smiled, truly smiled and it sent shivers up Volt's spine. Was this what he was waiting for? That elusive time when she'd finally open up to him? Could she possibly be willing to let him into her heart now? Was she ready to put herself into a deeper commitment with him? Volt hoped so as he licked his lips. He wanted to believe that she was ready for him to take the place that Gambit held for Rogue. Volt wanted, no needed to know that this was for real.

Violent looked at him with a half confused look on her face with that beautiful smile that she had just revealed to him.

Volt didn't know what came over him; it was like he was lost in this spell that she had woven on him. Slowly he moved closer to her his mind felt like it was in a haze. What surprised him though was that she didn't stop him. He swallowed hard and gently pressed his lips against hers.

They both felt it, a tingling sensation, Violent didn't fully comprehend what it was but Rogue knew. Though far slower than any other person she had ever touched he was being drained, as was her lot. Volt pulled away, he was suddenly light headed and Violent had grown pale as she looked at him.

"What happened?" Volt asked holding his head slightly, "Why do I feel so light headed?"

"I don't know…" Violent said but was interrupted by Rogue who found the strength to come back to the forefront of her mind.

"Didn't ah tell ya?" Rogue said scaring Volt, "When ya asked what significance mah gloves have ta meh ah told ya didn't ah?"

"You…. You said that you could kill a normal person with just your touch…" Volt answered sudden understanding flooding him, "That includes me doesn't it?"

"Ah'd hazard so circuits for brains…" Rogue spat, "Ah'd be careful tryin' ta kiss meh from now on sense ya know how…. When ah punched ya when we first met our connection wasn't long enough for the effect ta become apparent."

"Right… we'll remember that," he said softly, "Now let me have Violent back."

"Don't forget, ah will keep mah promise… ah always do," Rogue said as the glint in her eyes that was clearly Rogue faded and returned to Violent's.

"What did she say?" Violent said after shaking the effects off of herself from having given control back to Rogue.

"She said that it was her power…" Volt said softly.

"Oh…" she responded.


End file.
